I travel these days, that's what I do :P

Family of Mine!
I'm way glad you got the message in time. I was stoked to see, per usual, that my entire family wrote me. You guys are the best. Spencer, I feel your tiredness kid, but I know you are rocking it. I loved seeing you on that video last week. You look and sound so good. I miss you, my goodness. Sarah, you look grown up. Stop that :P You make me smile so much, thank you for the letter :) Annie, baby you are so cute with the contacts, and I loved the tour of the upstairs. It was rockin. I can't wait to see you play soccer! We'll be the unstoppable Rushton crew. FC Rushton baby. :P And thank you for your letter as well. :) Seriously, that video last week made me so darn happy. I was laughing the whole time. "Bikini's are bad." :P hahahahaha. O sweetest mercy. Spencer, you are a trooper :) Have fun on the water and enjoy yourselves 3x for me :) I took a FREEEEEEEEEZING -2 degree shower this morning, and when I got out it reminded me of swimming, so don't even feel bad. I had my "out on the lake experience" for the year. ha ;)
So, I don't know if you've heard, but the mission is actually a time when you travel the world and see things you only dreamed of seeing. And then you go see them again. :P I couldn't believe I was going back to London again...goodness. But it was great. We got there way late at night, caught the tube to the Chapel ( I can officially navigate myself from the airport to HydePark chapel) and then the Office Elders drove us to their home. We slept, and I got bit by huge bugs in the night. In the morning, we walked down to see Big Ben and the Parliament bulding (Elder Hobbs and I were with Elder Holden, who never intended in his life to go to England, but was so happy to be there...like a child in Chuck E. Cheese...ello Govna! Cheerio! haha) and then to Buckingham Palance, where the Queen lives. It was amazing. And then we ate Krispy Kreme donuts at Harrod's. I ate 4. I love Krispy Kreme. :P We stopped by the Chapel and on our way in I senior couple was walking towards the chapel too. The man in particular looked very very familiar. They asked where we were from, I told them, and then they looked at my name tag and said..."Rushton! Are you mike and Kim's son! Michael!? I could just hug you!" It was amazing! They are such kind people. I do remember them completely. It was a sweet little tender mercy. I'm glad you got to talk to her for a second :) How neat, and crazy lol.
We ate a traditional English breakfast and then caught our plane home. And once again, I was so grateful to be home, in Poland. O! The coolest part about London, was on the Tube back to the airport, I heard a lady pick up her phone and say,"Hello" and then a second later she switched on the"O hallo!" I asked her if she spoke Polish. She said yes. And we proceeded to chat it up in Polish, and it was amazing! I really missed speaking Polish in England. It was a pleasure to speak it with a Pole on the metro.
The Zone Leader meeting was good per usual. A little different than normal, cos we were discussing a more broad topic- how to achieve our goal of 100 baptisms. But it was good. I love seeing those boys. We had a prayer at the end of the meeting in The Saski Garden, where Poland was dedicated for missionariy work. It was way powerful, really neat experience. :) That night I flew to England.
Being out of the area for a few days destroys the week, but we made it out ok. We maintained contact with most our investigators, and most importantly, right now, Andrzej Pappelbaum is really doing well. He didn't come to church, cos he got caught in a huge!storm, and then was sick, but he is excited to meet a couple times this week. During a phone conversation we had he testified that he knows this church is true. We taught him the Plan of Salvation this week and it was one of the most rewarding lessons I have ever taught in my entire life. He just loved every second of it. If he didn't understand something, we resloved it and he just absorbed it like a sponge. He loves the Plan of Salvation, and he understands that baptism isn't just an entrace formality to the church, but an ordinance critical to Exaltation. He is SO getting baptized :) And I think we're going to do it in a river. The best part is, that the Branch is even supporting is in it, which is a miracle. I haven't mentioned it a lot, cos I'm trying to support the leadership, but the Branch President here, Prezydent Skurzyński, can be a little hard to understand at times. But he's supporting us with him too, so, major score :)
We're meeting with the young kid, Maciek, who wants me to teach him Piano, and we're going to extend to him a baptismal date too. He is the man. He's only 18, but he is excited about the Gospel, also loves the Plan of Salvation, and is doing good. I think the Poles love the plan of Salvation because it provides a lot of sense and hope to an anotherwise nonsensical and hard-to-understand doctrine taught by the church here. Good stuff though :)
The day I got back from London, we came home cleanedup, ate and then hit the Streets, and right on the Rynek (I can see the spot out the window) we contacted perhaps the two most amazing people I have ever contacted in Poland. Their names are Marcin and Kasia, and they are a couple, who obviously love eachother, not because they were incredibly publicly affectionate (like most couples excel at in these parts) but they were just way supportive of eachother and obviously loved being around eachother. They had lived in England and California at one point and speak very good English, and we had a good talk. They had met Missionaries in Ukraine who talked to them in English, and one of them who they described sounded A LOT like Todd the man Brooks. He was from southern California and had black hair. And I dunno, it just seems like Todd would contact these people. BUT, we talked and they were interested int he Gospel. They wanted to sit on a bench and hear some of it, so we sat and taught them. They were blown away by our Polish (which made me feel like a million pounds (which is like 14 bagillion zloty)) and they really liked what we had to say and wanted a book of mormon. We didn't have a spare copy on us, but they gave us their number. Such a GOLDEN number! They live in Kraków though. So, i'm praying I get transfered to Kraków next transfer to teach them and help add the most amazing addition to the Kraków branch ever. They are young, good looking, intelligent, kind, adventurous, and are the EPITOMY of a Kingdom Builder. They were only in Bydgoszcz for 4 hours. 4 hours! We only had 1 hour to contact! Coincidence? I think, NOT! ...I kind have hope for these people, if you didn't notice :P Elder Harvey said, I want to marry someone like Kasia :P true dat.
Other then that, life is good. I am so grateful I am here in Poland. I've being saying that since day one, but I mean it sooo much I can't even tell you. I love this language, I love these people, I love the Gospel and I love the members. The experience is clutch. It is sucking the marrow out of life, and I know that the Lord needed me here. Just like the Lord needed Jake in Taiwan and Jimmy in Chicago, and Ryan in Chile and Kory in Cambodia and Todd in Ukraine, and Phil in Idaho. The Lord calls us to where he knows we will touch people's souls and I know that is true.
This next week will be great. Tomorrow is Interviews with President, and then we drive with him, Sister Engbjerg and the AP's up to Szczecin, where we'll have Zone Conference! And then the next day Elder Harv and I are staying for exchanges (Szczecin is almost 5 hours away from Bydgoszcz...) so it'll be good! I hope you have so much fun on your trip. Please take pictures! And video lol. Video is my new favorite. :P I'm sending pictures home soon ma....I swear it lol. I am sorry. Have fun at EFY spency. Enjoy yourself, eat a Scoreboard Grill burger for me, and just have fun. You deserve it, Ma and Dad always says how hard your working and that they are so Proud of you, just so you know :)
Please do look for opportunites to share the Gospel- if you feel in your conscience, in your heart that you should talk with someone, do something for someone, do it! Always pray, and always read, always ask for faith and strength, because the Lord will give it.
I love you family so much. I am so glad I have this time here, and am so excited for you to someday be here to see this. You will love it :)
To next week.

z ogromną milością
Starszy Michał Rushton

Teraz mogę pisać troszkę po polsku, byście mieli możliwość widzieć że tak naprawdę umiem przynajmniej porozumeiwać się z ludzmi. Jeśteśtecie tak naprawdę moimi ulubionymy ludzmi na świetcie. Zawsze to zapamientajcie! Miłość!

Now I can write a but in Polish, so that you all can see that I can at least communicate with people here ha. You are all truly my favorite people on this Earth. Always remember that :) love!

Apparently, Elder Hobbs and Elder Rushton are both "illegal" and just HAD to fly to London again :p While there, they ran into our good friends and former Bishop, Don and Claudia Inskeep. I got a surprise phone call Friday AM--yes, just yesterday--and it was Claudia telling me she saw Michael this morning and he looked great!! Well, see for yourself, thanks to the internet, we all get to see a pic thats only 24hrs old!! Thanks, Claudia and Don. We love you!! PS. Claudia and Don are serving as full-time missionaries in the Family History Center :D

Gdansk and the Youth

Dearest Fam :) Thanks for the ridiculous amazing letters. I love them, again :) So, shocker- I didn't go to Ukraine, not because my legal situation is magically solved...but because 10 minutes before I got on the train to go to Lublin, where the Office Elders were going to pick me up and drive me to Ukraine, I got a call from them, the Office Elders (Slagowski and Burger) telling me "Stop! Don't get on the Train!" Ha. So I didn't. Turns out the big time Lawyer called them minutes before they called me because he didn't think that the Border would let us back into Poland once we were in Ukraine. I would have for sure seen Todd in that case :P I was pretty bummed to be honest- I'm sick of being illegal! AH! So looks like back to England with me. Kurczę! While on the topic of traveling though, I DID go to Gdańsk on exchanges, and just got back yesterday night. Left Sunday after church (:P I was thinking about what you were saying ma, about being busy on Sunday...it's a different story on the mish, that is for sure. But I'm used to it already lol, it's for sure different at home :)) Gdańsk is the city by the sea- one of the major Tourist spots, because it is absolutely beautiful. The District Leader apartment is right on the Rynek, and that's where i stayed the night, with Elder Carlen. The cultural highlight of the exchange was seeing one of the oldest, and by far the most awe-inspiring and ancient chapels I have ever seen. The thing was just epic as could be- stone tiles with engravings from centuries ago and the ceiling was SOOOOO HIGH is was insane. And, therein is contained one of the craziest pieces of Catholic art I have ever seen in my entire life- I took a picture of it, and I saved one panel (the most interesting one) to this e-mail. I'll let you find out what is so intersting- I think Ry would flip out if he saw it. So crazy.We had some good contacts- the city is Incredibly large compared to Bydgoszcz. The most miraculous thing that happened, and it truly was a miracle, is that I ran into that African-american- Mike- again. The one I met in Warsaw with McRae, teh one I miraculously ran into with Elder Meacham when i was in Gdańsk for one day- again, the 2nd day I have ever spent in Gdansk, I ran into him again. He is amazing as can be- he really wants to meet...I just don't know if he wants to meet with the Elders in Gdańsk as much as he wants to meet with me. He's a musician, we've ran into eachother several times, obviously not on accident- I hope I get to teach him. I felt in Warsaw that he had major potential and that maybe I would get sent to Gdansk just to teach him. SO that was truly amazing. Tender mercy for sure :)Elder Harvey and I feel blessed beyond comprehension because of the amazing young investigators we have. We have Maciek, who we met last week, who is way interested, who wants me to teach him piano, and I think will get baptized. There's Natalia number one, who is cute and way interested in the Gospel, and then Natalia number 2 who is in her fourth year of Music School, playing the cello. We had a break through lesson with her, teaching her about the Plan of Salvation. She really wasn't so interested at first, but after the lesson, she was quite eager to meet again. There's this young couple we met, Michał and Natalia (so many Natalia's!) and they too are intersted to meet. And then there's Ania, who we met and was golden as could be, but we lost contact with her and it broke our hearts! But yesterday, while I was on exchanges Harvey set up with her and taught her and she too, is stoked to learn more. Seriously, it's amazing to have one young investigator, but all the people I just mentioned are between the age of 18 and 25. And we need young people in Bydgoszcz branch. We've been looking for em, and the Lord has led us right to them :) It's been a major testminony builder in regards to what Elder Causse taught us- these men are truly ordained of God.Andrzej is doing well. He made it to the ward picnic I told you about Ma, and he loved it. It is so true what you said about people, when their rich, being sometimes hard-hearted and how Alma says, even rejoices in the fact that these people are so poor they had to humble themselves. Andrzej is at that truly humble state, and often when we first start talking, or he first comes to an activity, he is somewhat saddened, but by the end he is chipper as can be. I think he's starting to put the connection together...when he's at church, surrounded by this atmosphere, he is happy, full of hope and faith. He feels the Spirit. He is certainly progressing, we just got to help him keep his head up and remember the blessings the Lord promises those who follow Him.I don't know if I ever told you about Chip- the American we semi-often meet with and...I can't say teach, cos it's more like seriously discuss lol. He's a super neat man, was a photographer for 25 years..good at what he did, traveled all over the world, and ended up married to a Polish woman, now living in a city that is hard for him to pronounce. :P It makes me feel for the American and British elders. He has so many doctrinal questions, that even though they often lack a firm basis, he insists that we prove them wrong. It's tough for sure. In Poland, people are often simply to stubborn to listen- they say they're Catholic, but so few of them even open the Bible it's kind of crazy.The Priests in times of communism used to be the only ones who could even have a Bible. So the doctrine would be presented in a very sheltered, and not fully truthful way. I just resently learned that. It explains a lot. Just yesterday a lady said, in response to our question, "Are you a believing person?" "You know, just like stereotypical Pole, believing, but not practicing." Most people believe that there is something up there, they just have no true Idea what. Or why we're here. I've really learned the importance of knowing doctrines, very simple doctrines, so well, that we can present them in a way that everyone can not only understand, but it would be impossible for them to misunderstand what we are saying to them. I learned to love that aspect of missionary work here in Poland. It's furthered my own testimony tons, which I am so grateful for. These young people we teach are open to what we have to say, they consider the possibility that this wonderful message we share isn't just some magical story we've created that's almost to good to be true...but it just kind of makes sense. God loves us, so he wants us to be happy. The Gospel is the best plan in the world for that happiness. I love it :) But Chip- it's a good experience. For sure :P Janina came to church again, which was good. One more week and she'll be an active member :) Woo! I can't remember if anything else epic happened....I love Bydgoszcz so much...it feels like home and I'm scared to live somewhere else in a month or so. I love living in the same place for 6months- I really get to truly know it, inside and out. It's my city :) But it also makes it really hard to leave. I always go through withdraws, and such. But, again wouldn;'t trade it for anything.You sound like you had a wonderful week, with soccer, and football, and your girls time at Target lol. :) I'll be sending you some pictures way soon, I'm sorry I've been ridiculous at that. Thank you Grandma Diane so much for the money :) I truly appreciate it :) HOpe your doing so well! I despise my lack of time to write everyone who writes me. It eates me a part! I get so many amazing letters and have truly no time at all. Writing in my journal these days is a Herculean feat. BUt I will continue to try- we have some long train rides coming up- Zone Leader meeting on Thursday :) I'll let you know how that is.Well, my family, I love you :) I love this Gospel, and I am so grateful for every day I have here. Have an amazing week. I love the PMG thing you are doing down there Dad and Spence. It's amazing. Never forget to pray, and to read, at least a little bit everyday. It has so much power, I don't know what I'd do without it.Have an amazing week, remember who you are. Love,Starszy Michael Rushton :) p.s. Glad you got the chocolates, love you Jakey boy. Smacznego. pps Truly, thank you so much to you who send me letters, I would write you an e-mail every week if that were legit. For reals, it means more than I can express. I will write you back.

The First Capital and a Sweet Sunday

Dearest Fam, I again start my weekly epistle to you all :) A day shorter this time, but possibly even more to write about then last week. lol we'll see.The Fourth of July must have been amazing down there. I certainly did miss the fireworks, the good American grill food and the friends and fam more than anything. We didn't do much here, sadly, at all. It's kind of funny that half the Polish people probably didn't even know it was an American Holiday. One of our Investigators did, and he felt quite knowledgable ha. We did have some minor celebrating though! It was American Food week at this grocery store called Lidl, and a less-active bought us these amazing cookes and muffin mixes. It was 100% legit. Crunchy "brownie cookies" - just like Chips Ahoy. We did enjoy those lol. We also ate Burger King in the local mall here to celebrate our American Heritage. Kind of pathetic now that I write it down...but hey, it was something :P We also listened to the Star-Spangled Banner and some other amazing American songs. And we relished in the fact that we are Americans lol. Being in Poland, talking to people all day, having them ask you if your from England or the States because of our painfully not-polish accents and proudly answering the States makes me proud of my country all the time :) Major occupation-bonus. ha. I did though, miss the Stratford, pool-party, grill combo. I think I'll miss 3 4th's of July on my mission. The next time I miss it though, I'll be home a couple weeks later! Crazy! It's been the first week with our whole new district and it's been amazing. I love these guys- it's different only having a four-man district. It's tighter- only four people in an entire city. It's kind of amazing. I feel like we're special troops here- the 4 muskateers, preaching the Gospel with courage and boldness, bringing truth to all! :P But honestly, it does have a good feel. We are officially an old district. Elder Rasmussen (who was in my very very first district back in Warsaw) is the Oldest. He's 8 months older then me. Doesnt' have a lot of time left. Elder Beaty and I are the youngest...at the end of this Transfer, we'll have a year in the country, offically an older missionary. WE got lots of work to do so, it's a good thing we're all old, and can all "Speak POlish" aka, communicate and teach people lol. The mission is shrinking pop. HUGE groups of missionaries...15, 10, 13, and like numbered groups are going home...and only 3 or 1 or 2 missionaries are coming in to replace them. It's crazy. I think we're going down to 3 Zones next transfer, that's not for sure....but it's the only logical thing I think. RIght now, one of the Zone's, the North Warsaw Zone, only has 12 missionaries. Once upon a time here, there used to 10 missionaries in a district. So, very very small Zone. Just back to the craziness that I am an "old missionary". 4 months ago, I was a young missionary. But now I am old! And I have the responsobility to be an old missionary, to handle investigators, talk about difficult things with investigators, make difficult decisions, things I generally let my senior companion worry about; despite my greatest desires to help, it's scary thinking about how terribly I could mess up a perfectly good investigator if I don't handle a situation well. In all actuality, I don't think the Lord would ever let that really happen...but as a young missionariy in the situation, you are incredibly grateful your senior companion handles that kind of thing. But I'm way grateful for the responsibility now. Elder Harvey and I carry equal weight, but I know all these investigators, I know this area- i kind of have to play the intense senior companion role for a bit here. And it's truly been beautiful this last week.We've seen some solid progress with some investigators, and had a chance to meet some AMAZING new investigators. We both feel the magnitude of the blessings the Lord is giving us and both understand that we have to give it our all for these amazing people. THe branch NEEDS these people, especially in light of the recent troubles with Fabian and Marysia. So we are working hard, and being blessed. One of the neatest experiences I had this week was while teaching this man, Andrzej Pappelbaum, who i've talked about before. He's got Jewish lineage, and really likes me lol. But we met with him, and I KNOW the Lord completely loosened my tounge, but every word that I needed to say, right there. Even things I had never thought about trying to say, he helped me express them in a way that brought the Spirit, and helped him understand the Gospel a little better. Andrzej is really struggling with finding some work- he's 62 and feels like he needs work. But he is an amazing man. One more piece of Background info- we've been meeting with this less-active, the same one that gave us the Brownie cookes. Her name is Janina, and she is older, late 50's. She has an amazing testimony, but was offended, or something a couple of years ago, and has not been to church for two years. It broke my heart, when I finally met her (I had heard about her) because she really does know It's true, and knows the importance of it all. So when Elder Harvey and I met with her, we talked about being offended, and how we don't got to church for people, but for ourselves, and for the Lord. We do it because we know it's right, and what we need. She insisted that she could not come back, that she was not needed there, and that we couldn;t even meet with her, despite how amazingly nice she was to us, because other people need our message and time more then her. We left, insisting on "See you later" instead of Goodbye. I still felt a stinge of sorrow though, feeling I wouldn't see her again.That leads to the most amazin Sunday i've had yet in Bydgoscz, by far. Andrzej promised he'd be in Church and he was. He came and sat down- I had told a couple members he would be there and asked them to greet him. They did, and he felt very welcome. 2 minutes before the meeting started, a random investigator we haven't even talked with for a couple of weeks walks in and sits down, happy as can be. I wasn't complaining ha. 1 minute before church starts, I am sitting at the Piano, which is up by the podium. Janina walks in the door, and sits down. I almost feel out of my chair. We caught eye contact, and she smiled a very big smile. It was priceless for me.All the testimonies were about being grateful for our trials, which is EXACTLY what Andrzej needed to hear. Honestly, I was worried he would thing that I had talked to all the members about him before. It was that perfect.At the end, Janina bore here testimony. It was sweet. I bore mine too. The whole meeting I was in heaven. It was the best. At the end of the block, I came up to Janina, and asked if we could maybe meet this week. She smiled and said, I think so, if you have time. I swear, it was right out of a movie. I think she's back to stay. That night, Andrzej Pappelbaum called us at 10:30, and said he could not sleep without first thanking us for being the means through which the Lord is working to bless his life, to give him peace. He accepted a baptismal date for the 8 of August and insisted that I perform the ordinance. lol we'll see if we can't get a member to do it first, if not, it would be a pleasure. Elder Harvey and I felt immensely blessed. It was the bee's knees, I was happy as could be to call the AP's back and say, you'll have to add another Baptismal date on that list. :)That was the highlight for sure. Today was an amazing P-day. Tomek Mazurek (the one Spencer is frineds with on facebook) drove us out to this sweet old fort village where ancient civilations lived. It was amazing. We then visited the very first capital of Poland, Gniezw. Again, truly amazing. We helped Tomek move a bunch of stuff yesterday, and tomorrow we're eating at their house. Karolina (who speaks fluent...ridiculously fluent English) is an amazing cook, so we're stoked. Tomek and I had a great conversation too on the way home about life in general. He's a way way good guy, and I'm glad I can get to know him. Him and Uncle John served in Afghanistan at the same time. Well, I've got to wrap this bad boy up and send it off. It's been an amazing week, and this next one will only be better. You all sound amazing per usual. I love you so much, and am sorry I didn't get to write you guys a little personal part today, next week I promise :) I am going to Ukraine this week to work out the rest of the legal junk. Lol, I'm taking a 7 hour train from here to Lublin and from there driving with the Office Elders to Ukraine. You are so right about the train being more exciting back in the beginning. BUt it is by far the way to go in terms of travel here in Poland. The scenery is unbeatable. For the package ma...maybe this face wash St.Ives Apricot stuff. Got it at the MTC and it was legit. Felt like sand, but it was so nice at the end of the day. And now that it is HOTTER THAN HADES here, it would be nice to have. :) I love you so much Family and miss you tons, but Sincerely...maybe the most sincerely I've ever said it, know that this is where I need to be. That the Lord has work for me to do here right now, and I still have tons of growing to do. Have an amazing week, I love you and think about you every day. And pray for you too. I know this work is of God. It is the way to Happiness, and I love it. :)much love - duzo miloscStarszy Michael Rushton Jr. :)

Closing Torun and the Billabong

Family of mine! Woo! Thank you for the letters so much :) I loved what you were saying Pop about Murrieta not changing that much- how it felt like you all had never said bye to Kevin. That is unreal that he is home already! It blows my mind! It's so funny...these days when i write "Murrieta" it sometimes feels like "Hogwarts" or "Neverland". A place that seems so far away and sometimes even imaginary, but ever so close to my heart. It's kind of surreal to think that you will read this letter from a computer in Murrieta. That right now you all are sleeping and i'm sitting in a library in Europe, overlooking the city square watching people feast on the Gelato and set up the benches for the concert that will happen tonight. I wish you all could see this place right now ha - and I know you all will, in a little over a year from tomorrow. Twill be beautiful, eh :) Elder Hughes, who went to high school in Germany for a year, said the same thing, about being shocked about the commodities we take for granted in the States. And that was after living in Germany! I can only imagine what Kevin's feeling lol. So neat :) Tell him I said Hello and give him a hug for me. Sounds like it's all calmed down a bit there, which is nice and sad at the same time. It must've been so neat to have the cousins there with Grandma. Goodness :) Miss em all tons. So glad you had that time thought, sounds priceless :) I love all your insights mother and love hearing about church :) SO crazy to me. This week has been an intense, very different, but good week. I swear it's been 2 weeks since I've written lol I've traveled an incredible amount this week, mostly because of the fact that Torun, the beautiful city an hour away where two of the 6 elders in our Bydgoszcz distrcit worked, is now closed, and I had the "pleasure" of cleaning the apartment out with Elder Deuel. Being with Elder Deuel was a pleasure. He grew up in LA and is a convert of a couple years. He completely turned his life around to become a member and come on a mission. We had some real good conversation, did lots of cleaning ( I swear that bathroom has never been cleaned for the last year and half that place was open...tackled that bad boy by myself. Victory) and carried his OGROMNY (GINORMOUS) amount of luggage back to Bydgoszcz. We went 3 or four times between Bydgoszcz and Torun. It was good though :) I'm learning to adore train rides. The Standard of Excellence dinner was this last Monday, so I took a train down to Warsaw where Elder Hughes and Lehinig (amazing German elder who went with Elder McRae when i came here) picked me up. We taught a couple of lessons- one to a man named Bogdan, who was very insightful about the Bible and Book of Mormon, and the other lesson was with a Family, we did FHE with them! It rocked! Elder Hughes will be teaching both of those people now. After this,we went to Presidents for the dinner. We got there right as President did and had a good evening together. It was so good seeing Elder McRae lol. In the mission it's sometimes hard to completely get to know someone, or really connect with them, especially for me who has only served in two cities...and I'm often excited to see other Elders but with McRae it's like seeing my brother, way relaxed, don't have to prove anything or live up to any expectation. It's way nice. So we had some good chattin. We met the new Senior Couples who are AMAZING. There's the Irelands, from Australia (good stuff eh? Put another shrimp on the barbie!) They are legit. So funny and remind my of my different sets of Grandparents...maybe Elder Ireland is a bit crazier than any of them ha but it's great. We were in awe as they told us all about the Outback and the killer spiders, snakes and random patches of Rain Forest in the Jungle, which are called Billabongs (Crazy right?!). It was neat. There's a sister from Whales. Sister Powel. She knows Sister Hall, my MEn's Choir director! It was so neat! She has a beautiful accent- Elder Ireland couldn't understand her at all...she kind of sings when she speaks. Thick as Skippy's peanut butter. The Dinner was amazing, we heard the testimony;s of the new senior Missionaries and I loved one sisters missionariy...I've forgotten her name, but she is 60 and barely joined the church 10 years ago and expressed how grateful she is for the church, how it changed her entire life and how before that she had anever had a chance to meet the church. She said "no missionaries ever knocked on my door." No doubt if they did, she would have listened. It hit me because I know there are those people who are ready like she was here in Bydgoszcz. Just got to find em! :) A great night though. President is kind as can be and his testimony is inspiring and I love the man. So nice of him to have us over for doing that which we should be doing already as missionaries. He likes to celebrate the goodness of the Lord and the success of His work. Certainly nothing wrong with that :)The next day was transfer day. I said goodbye to Elder Hughes and got on my train with Elder Harvey, and we had a great 4 hour ride back to Bydgoszcz. I love Elder Harvey already. He's easy going, funny, and really wants to work and do what's right. He's from Iowa and is in the same group as Elder McRae and Elder Henrie (four months older then me) and this is his first time as a Zone Leader. I'm actually the Senior Zone Leader and techincally Senior Companion, but that doesn't really mean anything. Basically I just have to teach him the logistics of being a Zone Leader and we'll be working our best to motivate, inspire and set the example for our Zone. He's been district leader in four different cities for the past 8 months and he was also at the Standard of Excellence dinner. We are going to have a rockin trasnfer, for sure :) The work is going well- we're setting up with all the people Elder Hughes and I found and there are so many willing people it's an amazing blessing. We have some seriously promising investigators who I just briefly mentioned last time. One of the ones that stick out in my brain is Magda, a lady Elder Jones and I met on the street who really didn't have time, but todl us where she worked ( on the same street as the Chapel ) and said we could come back and have a conversation as long as no one was in there. We had popped in a few times before, but she either was not there or it was busy, but 2 weeks ago we popped in and she was so happy to see us! We sat down and taught her a first lesson about the Restoration and gave her a Book of Mormon. She was so sincerely grateful for the Book and was so amazed by the Joseph Smith story it simply made us smile and have built in us an amazing hope for this lady. We don't have her number, but she works so close it's not hard for us to stop by, just can't really make any specific plans lol. So we will do that this week. The first of the Torun trips I made with Elder Hughes who was going to Warsaw- the same train goes through Torun to Warsaw. I got off in Torun, Elder Deuels companioni Elder Kalian got on, and they both went to Warsaw. BUT from Bydgoszcz to Torun, Elder Hughes and I talked to this amazing 18 year old kid named Szymon. He was amazing! Going to Bialystok to play a Billiard's Masters tournament and we were the only ones in the wagon with him. We talked a lot and even quite a bit about religion, and as I had to get off I slighly said to Hughes "get his number!" He said "I KNOW!" with a smile. Turns out he couldn't get his number- they came back to the cabin and it was packed and E. Kalian had tons of luggage, so they were seprated. Hughes was way sad, but sometimes that happens. SOOOO on Sunday night as Elder Deuel and I got back from Torun into Bydgoszcz, We walk down the stairs into the main Station, and guess who I see standing there, as if he's waiting for me? SZYMON! That is who lol. He had just got back minutes before from his Tournament. He said, " Small world eh?" I said I thought it was a sign. I got his number, called Elder Hughes and we rejoiced. The problems with Fabian and Marysia have certainly not gotten better. I think it's coming to the point where I need to let him ponder about it himself. We've tried our best- but it's come to the point where their heart's are so hardened they wouldn't listen if an angel struck them to the Ground. It hurts to say that, but it's insane! I feel like i'm experiencing something far beyond my capacity sometimes, but we're still trying. It's so hard because Fabian really was as golden as I made him out to be. Every missionary who ever met him thinks, despite my nature, i'm playing an off-colored joke when i tell them what happened. We just can pray and fast and let him have is agency and hope the Lord will intercede. The Lord of course will if it's necessary...I hope he will soon. The work really is amazing though, and I am so stoked to be with Elder Harvey. We only have four Missionaries now here in Bydgoszcz. The mission is shrinking real good. I do no have Elder Beaty in my district! He's the Elder I've seen least since we've come here, but I'm so stoked to be around him. He is also hilarious and a very good kid, really really like him too. We're going to rock it here :) I love you all from the bottom of my heart and can't express how grateful I am for this Gospel. It means the world to me and it blows me away sometimes how people won't give the Book of Mormon a chance! Cos when they do they see the truth contained therein. It's no longer a matter of sense, but of truth, of revelation and it can does make sense too. You just have to open your eyes, open the cover, to see it. You all sound amazing. I miss you so much, but would not rather be anywhere else. One year down. Blows me away. It'll go faster then I would like, I know that for sure. And I will see you faster than you can imagine, and it'll be like I never left. So until then, I will grind it out, and come home, tired, and worn, but feeling good :) That's my goal. Love you so much :) To next week, my amazing family. - Starszy Michael J Rushton, Jr. and proud of it all :)

I am staying in Bydgoszcz baby! 2city wonder, that's me :)

Fam!!! Good to be in the Library again, typing up the weekly update :) Brace yourselves, but Transfer news is already out, and the actual transfering will take place next Tuesday, and P-day will be Wednesday, so it'll be a day later that I write to you. That being said...I am staying in Bydgoszcz baby! 2 city wonder, that's me :) But i sincerely couldn't be happier. I love this city so much and we have found so many ammmmmmazingly ready people recently that I would have cried had I been assigned to leave. The terrible horrible part is that Elder Hughes is being dramatically ripped from me. We've only had 6 weeks together! We were planning sunday night and all of a sudden our phone started vibrating on the table. I picked it up and my eyes widened when it read "President Engbj" (his name is too wide to fit on the screen). I looked up and said. It's President! And Hughes said, Answer it! So I did and recieved the news. Elder Hughes is going to South Warsaw as ZL, my home ward!! I'm way excited for that, he'll be working with all the people Elder McRae and I worked with. My companion will be none other than the Elder Harvey :) It'll be a blast for sure. We have tons of work to do here in Bydgoszcz. My broseph Elder McRae is Assistant to the President. Priceless. Everyone respects him so much he will do so well. AND I get to go on exchanges with him and call in to him every night. Genius. :PFam, the letters were amazing. Pop don't worry about writing a short one last week :) Honestly I finish reading your's and ma's letters and think to myself, I don't know if I'll be able to write such heart-felt, true-to-self, letters as you both do every single week. They are the best. And I love them so. Spence, I'm so glad you had so much fun, we are FO SHO doing that when I get home. Goodness. I love your bro. Sarah, I love your letters so much. You are too cool. Stop it. Stop! :P You sound like you had an amazing experience at camp and the fact that you brought a friend makes me so proud of you. You truly are coming so much into your own- your personality flies off the computer in your writing. I love it :) Your amazing sister, love you. :) Annie babe, hope your having a great time with the cousins, I miss you and love you so! You look so sporty in your soccer pic sarah sent, that girl was eating your dust. That's my sista :P Momma, the letter was amazing per usual. :) I love you so:)This week has been 100% crazy. It's had some major highs, but also a couple crushing lows, I'll start out with the low part, and go from there. Firstly, I'm not legal yet. That's hardly crushing, but I will have to fly to England again and I want to punch someone!!! England was cool once, but I never want to walk off a plane again unless it's on American soil and yes lol. Frustrating. But I had to go to Warsaw to tie up so loose legal ends- I stayed the night with the Office Elders, and got a call from Elder Hughes that night. He had called Fabian to see if he was coming to church and Fabian replied that he's not. Maybe ever again. At this point Elder Hughes kind of freaked out as I would have and we told him we're going out there this week. I was crushed to hear this. We went out there with Andrzej Wencel, the first counceler in the Branch Presidency to talk with him. One week ago we talked with him about the Priesthood and he was so excited cos he shared the gospel with someone. This Fabian we talked to was not the same boy who was just baptized. Something happened, we don't know what, but he's choosing to beleive false doctrine and other ridiculous things. He's been talking with another recent convert, Marysia, here in Bydgoszcz. Marysia as a result of Fabian's frustrating action has been way confused lately and honory and saying that she doesn't know if she wants to be a member of the church. As you can imagine, we felt like we were in some absurd other-dimension television show a bit this past week. But it's being resolved. Yesterday, Marysia called us and, very remorsefully said she didn't feel good about any of this and that she needs help coming back. She said her and Fabian "like each other" and that's kind of promising cos she can help him come back. It's between the Lord and Fabian, but we're going to do everything we can to put some sense into his head and find out what happened in the last week. We've shed tears, we've been frustrated and we've talked about it a lot, but now there's just a solid resolve to help. And the Lord will do His part. Phew....that's enought drama to last a life time- Now let me tell you about the Miracles the Lord has poured on us this week. Because, honestly, we have been so blessed. :)We really are having so much success street contacting it's kind of ridiculous! We've really been focused contacters this trasnfer- it's opened my eyes to what the Lord can do for us when we have a goal, when we have a sharpened focus on who we want to find. The Lord always provides. We went on exchanges with the AP's this week - I was with Elder Guinn and we had a good time Tracting and Contacting- our most exciting contact was minutes before the end of the exchange, we stopped an older kind-looking woman. She is a Polka, but she lives in Germany. She was so spiritual and so ready for the Gospel, we gave her a Book of Mormon right there. She was so excited to read it- she gave us a number to her daughter who is a college student here. We called her to set up and she was so darn open to set up it was amazing!!! We are way excited for her.We have had some amazing meetings with people we've met from earlier in the Trasnfer- this young boy named Rafal who is 18 and kind of a hoolie, but he's a pondering kind of kid and is ready as can be for the Gospel. I'm so excited for him. We're going to meet again this week. We met this woman Magda, who is also prepared as can be. We taught her right in her work and she was the first person thus far in my mission who, upon hearing The Joseph SMith story, was truly in awe and understood the importance of it. So neat! I sadly do not have much more time! I could write to you all day! But know that the work is going so well here. Fabian is a bummer, but he will be ok. There are so many promising ready people here we are so excited. I'm going to be the oldest Bydgoszcz-ian missionary here so I'll kind of have to take control. It'll be way sad not being with Elder Hughes. He's been the man for me. So good with the Language and inspired me to be a better teacher and well-read in the Gospel.My personal study each morning is priceless for me. I love it. I learn so much more everyday and try my best to apply it :)Goodness gracious I have so much more to say, but I must go.Just know that I love you all so much and I love this Gospel. I know that it is true and is the work of the Lord. Have an amazing week and live the Gospel! Help the missionaries if the opportunity arrises! That is one of the things we're really really working for here. More member involvement. Of course it's a different story when there's 30 active members lol. But we're trying.We were fed this week by a member, Aniela. She is amazing. She has a son who married another member of the Bydgoszcz branch and they are sealed to eachother. That is such an accomplishment- she must be so proud as a single mother here in Poland. Truly something worth being proud of.Love you so much. Look forward to writing more next week :) Remember, wednesday! Talk you next week fam :)I'm sorry I couldn't get more positive stuff in here...the time ran away from me. But know that there are miracles on the rise. Everyday. Pray for us. :) Elder Michael Rushton!